122 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



the Dayong's reputation and his uncanny behaviour 

 prepare the patient, the suction appHed through 

 the tube gives him the impression that something 

 is being drawn through his skin, and the skilful 

 production of the mysterious black pellet completes 

 the suggestive process, under the influence of which, 

 no doubt, many an ache or pain has suddenly dis- 

 appeared. On one occasion, one of us being a little 

 indisposed in a Klemantan house, we made an 

 opportunity to examine the methods of the Dayong 

 a little more closely than is usually possible, by 

 inviting one to undertake the extraction of his pains. 

 We were then able to realise more vividly the 

 suggestive force of the procedure, and to see that 

 the black pellets were bits of dark beeswax which 

 were carried upon the finger-nails of the Dayong, and 

 surreptitiously introduced by him into his mouth as 

 they were required for exhibition after being blown 

 through the tube ; we could see also that the 

 mysterious movements of the pellets upon his palm 

 were produced by the help of short fine hairs pro- 

 truding from it. It seems impossible to deny the 

 presence of a certain element of fraud in this 

 procedure, but we think that it would be hasty 

 and uncharitable to assert that the Dayong s attitude 

 is wholly one of fraud ; we must remember that 

 our most orthodox medical practitioners accord a 

 legitimate place in their armamentarium to mistura 

 rubra (solution of burnt sugar) and to similar aids 

 whose operation is purely suggestive. 



Most of the coastwise tribes seek to drive away 

 epidemic disease by the following procedure : — One 

 or more rough human images are carved from the 

 pith of the sago palm and placed on a small raft or 

 boat, or full-rigged Malay ship, together with rice 

 and other food carefully prepared. The boat is 

 decorated with ribbons of the leaves and with the 

 blossoms of the areca palm, and allowed to float out 



